Shi Pengpeng took the remote control and scrolled through the movies while asking, “Bro, which one do you want to watch?”
Yan Jing’s throat was already a bit tight: “I haven’t really looked into it, you choose.”
These movies were collections he had directly downloaded from genre categories.
He hadn’t watched them carefully and had no idea what they were about.
Shi Pengpeng thought for a moment and opened a comedy-style zombie classic:
“Let’s start with something beginner-friendly.”
Yan Jing looked at the green-faced, fanged Qing dynasty zombie on the cover and felt like he was about to turn into a stiff corpse himself: “Are you sure this is beginner-level?”
“Yeah,” Shi Pengpeng explained, “These zombies just look a bit scary, but it’s all surface-level. You’ll get used to it.”
Yan Jing couldn’t help but ask, “How long did it take you to get used to them at first?”
“Me?” Shi Pengpeng chuckled, “I never had to get used to them. My childhood shows in kindergarten were all horror movies.”
Yan Jing: “…”
He decided to just laugh it off, “What a coincidence, I started encountering ghosts in kindergarten too.”
“Ah, I know,” Shi Pengpeng said with a hint of sympathy and a touch of envy, “I wish I had met you back then.”
Yan Jing: “…”
Although he also wished they could have met earlier, it definitely wasn’t for that kind of reason.
Shi Pengpeng turned down the volume a bit, and with less background noise, the movie’s horror atmosphere was significantly diminished.
Yan Jing watched for a while and indeed gradually got used to the zombies’ appearances.
Of course, it was also because his recent practical experiences had effectively boosted his mental resilience.
He even felt relaxed enough to discuss: “Speaking of which, do zombies even exist anymore?”
Throughout his life, he had encountered countless demons and spirits, but he had never actually run into a zombie.
Shi Pengpeng nodded: “Nowadays, cremation is the norm. After death, it’s all ashes, so it’s hard for zombies to exist. If you’re interested, I can take you to visit a funeral home sometime.”
Yan Jing politely declined with a smile: “I’m not that interested.”
He was here to pursue her, not to pursue a crematorium.
Shi Pengpeng thought for a moment: “But it’s not entirely accurate to say there are no zombies at all. They’re just not human corpses, and they’re actually quite common in daily life.”
Yan Jing: “What?”
Shi Pengpeng glanced at him: “Haha, I mean zombie meat.”
Yan Jing: “……Thanks, I’m thoroughly amused.”
“You’re welcome,” Shi Pengpeng felt relieved that he seemed less tense and decided to relax herself…
Well, starting with her jaw muscles.
She reached over to the side table, grabbed a bag of chips, and opened it, munching away with a “crunch crunch.”
Yan Jing glanced at her out of the corner of his eye and reached out: “Give me one.”
Shi Pengpeng was puzzled: “I thought you didn’t eat junk food?”
This young master had always been picky, claiming that snacks tasted like additives and avoiding them like the plague.
Yan Jing didn’t even blink: “I’ve changed.”
“Oh,” Shi Pengpeng didn’t think much of it and casually handed him a new bag, “Here.”
Yan Jing: “…”
Expecting her to take the initiative was probably harder than expecting a bag of chips to have less air in it.
Yan Jing held the puffed-up chip bag, his gaze falling on the remote control on the floor, and an idea formed in his mind.
He glanced at the movie’s plot, silently estimating the timing, and finally seized the moment right before an obvious jump scare.
He casually moved…
He shifted his body slightly, and his finger accidentally pressed the volume button on the remote control.
On the screen, a sinister and grotesque zombie suddenly leaped out, accompanied by a sudden surge in the background music.
Although Yan Jing had mentally prepared himself in advance, he was still thoroughly startled.
His body reflexively turned, and his head leaned toward Shi Pengpeng.
Ideally, his face should have buried itself in the crook of Shi Pengpeng’s neck.
However, due to his height, the objective conditions didn’t allow it, so he could only manage to rest his forehead against her head.
Shi Pengpeng’s hair was soft and fluffy, carrying the refreshing scent of shampoo.
Yan Jing’s heart was pounding, and for a moment, he couldn’t tell whether it was because of the horror movie or because of Shi Pengpeng.
His Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and his voice grew a bit husky.
“Pengpeng, you scared me.”
Shi Pengpeng:”…..”
She.
Saw.
Everything!
As someone who often hunted ghosts at night, her vision was sharp.
She immediately noticed Yan Jing’s little maneuver with the remote control.
This guy, how dare he try to trick her?!!
Shi Pengpeng instinctively wanted to call him out, but for some reason, the words that reached her lips were swallowed back.
Their upper bodies were almost pressed together.
Although it was Yan Jing who was leaning into her, because of their size difference, the posture made it seem more like he was half-embracing her.
The surroundings were pitch dark, with only the eerie cold light reflected from the horror movie, which heightened their senses.
Shi Pengpeng could clearly feel Yan Jing’s breathing.
He had a slight obsession with cleanliness, so he always smelled fresh and clean.
But for some reason, she seemed to catch a faint scent, reminiscent of the sunlight filtering through the shade of trees on a summer afternoon, mingled with the aroma of grass.
It was refreshing, yet it inexplicably made her feel a bit warm.
Shi Pengpeng noticed her heartbeat had quickened without her realizing it.
After a moment of silence, she chose to pat the back of Yan Jing’s hand.
“Bro, don’t be scared.”
Seeing his plan succeed, Yan Jing couldn’t help but let the corners of his mouth curl up slightly.
“Mhm, I’m not scared.”
He didn’t dare to overdo it.
Although she already knew his true nature, he still had to maintain a bit of his usual tough-guy image.
Feeling it was about time, he reluctantly moved his head away from her and sat up straight, looking as if he had been enlightened.
“Not bad. I feel like I’ve grown a lot tonight.”
Shi Pengpeng chuckled and handed him a potato chip.
“Want some?”
“Sure,” Yan Jing replied, but instead of taking it with his hand, he tilted his head and directly took the chip from her fingers, crunching it down in two bites.
Shi Pengpeng: “Is it good?”
“Mhm, very good.”
Yan Jing thought to himself that sometimes, the taste of artificial flavors and preservatives wasn’t so bad after all.
Shi Pengpeng had been teaching Yan Jing law for a week.
After each lesson, they would watch a horror movie to build courage.
Yan Jing, who was both a quick learner and a top student in the conventional sense, had already grasped the basics in just a few lessons.
At the same time, his acting skills steadily improved.
His performance of being scared by the horror movie and leaning into Shi Pengpeng became more and more natural.
Shi Pengpeng had grown accustomed to his closeness.
The pleasant scent on him made her feel comfortable.
Once, after a tiring day at work, she even dozed off on his shoulder without realizing it.
Yan Jing was enjoying the junk food with great relish, gradually even experiencing a bit of the joy of a wild boar.
Early Saturday morning, just as Yan Jing got up, he received another voice message from his mother, asking when he would finally bring his girlfriend home.
The gloom of his breakup had mostly cleared up.
Reflecting on his week with Shi Pengpeng, he confidently replied: [Soon.]
Then he sent a message to Shi Pengpeng: [Pengpeng, are you awake? I’ll come pick you up.]
The reply came quickly.
AAA Local Specialty Retail & Wholesale: [Bro, I was just about to tell you, something came up today, so I can’t make it to class. Black face.jpg]
Yan Jing: [What’s up?]
AAA Local Specialty Retail & Wholesale: [The agent found a few suitable houses for me, and I need to go check them out as soon as possible.]
Since deciding to buy a house, Shi Pengpeng had hired an experienced agent to help her find one.
Because her requirements were quite specific, the agent had finally managed to gather a few properties that met her criteria, and she didn’t want to keep the agent waiting.
Yan Jing: [I’ll go with you.]
Shi Pengpeng looked at the message and couldn’t help but smile a little, though she still tried to dissuade him politely.
AAA Local Specialty Retail & Wholesale: [Are you sure?]
Yan Jing: [Is there a problem?]
AAA Local Specialty Retail & Wholesale: [Just a little one. All the houses I’m going to see today are rumored to be haunted. Grinning face.jpg]
Yan Jing: “?”
No wonder this little witch hadn’t wanted his help in finding a house she had her own clever plan.
It wasn’t hard to understand; the biggest feature of haunted houses, aside from being haunted, was that they were cheap.
If it were anyone else, Yan Jing might have tried to talk them out of it, thinking it wasn’t worth the risk just to save some money.
But when it came to Shi Pengpeng, he couldn’t bring himself to say anything…….
He could only hope those haunted houses would take care of themselves.
Yan Jing bravely replied: [Just a haunted house? I’m not the same person I used to be.]
AAA Local Specialty Retail & Wholesale: [(^o^)/Alright then, come pick me up.]
Ju Ziyi had been a real estate agent for over a decade and had encountered plenty of clients who didn’t mind haunted houses for a cheaper price.
But this was the first time she’d met a client who specifically wanted a haunted house, and it was a young girl at that.
When Ju Ziyi first heard the request, she felt a pang of sympathy.
It’s really tough for young people to buy a house these days.
She tried to offer some advice, but the girl remained unmoved.
Ju Ziyi felt she had done her duty and didn’t press further.
A few properties.
Regardless, business was business, and she wasn’t about to turn it down.
Fortunately, Ju Ziyi had plenty of resources, and after some searching, she managed to gather a few options.
Shi Pengpeng, accompanied by Yan Jing, spent the morning with Ju Ziyi looking at several haunted houses, but none of them were quite satisfactory.
The prices were indeed very low, but either the feng shui was bad, or the layout was poorly designed.
Finally, they found one in a decent location with a good environment, but it turned out to be the site of a murder, and the killer was still at large.
As soon as Yan Jing heard this, he immediately vetoed it.
He thought this was far scarier than just a haunted house, especially since some killers were psychopaths who liked to return to the scene of their crimes to admire their handiwork.
Even though Shi Pengpeng had the ability to protect herself, he didn’t want her to take even the slightest risk.
Ju Ziyi had always thought it was a bit too radical for the young girl to buy a haunted house.
Seeing the situation, she also advised, “Miss Shi, what your boyfriend said makes sense. And look how concerned he is about you. You really shouldn’t make him worry.”
“He’s not my boyfriend,” Shi Pengpeng replied.
Upon hearing this, Yan Jing’s handsome face immediately fell, and he retorted irritably, “Is that the point?”
Shi Pengpeng found his nervous demeanor both amusing and touching, so she didn’t argue with him further.
Instead, she turned to Ju Ziyi and said, “Then let’s forget about this one.”
Ju Ziyi raised an eyebrow in understanding, thinking to herself that young people are so love-struck.
Although Miss Shi denied that the handsome guy was her boyfriend, it seemed like they were almost there, given how easily she listened to his advice.
The handsome guy also seemed quite impressive-not only was he good-looking, but he had also spent the entire morning accompanying her without complaint and was clearly very considerate of her.
Ju Ziyi’s thoughts raced, and she quickly came up with an idea.
She turned to Yan Jing and said, “Handsome, why don’t you persuade Miss Shi to consider some normal houses instead of just haunted ones? I have some great resources here…”
Before she could finish, Yan Jing interrupted, “No need. Just keep showing her haunted houses, preferably the ones that are really haunted.”
Ju Ziyi:”….”
“Seriously, handsome, even if the girl denied that you’re her boyfriend, you don’t have to be like this, do you?What a petty man!”